Five Years To Ascend The Throne, Three Years Of Mock Simulations - Chapter 9

Standing beside the shrubs, Ming Tan rolled her eyes dramatically and turned a deaf ear to Ming Xiao’s wails and curses.

She tilted her head, took the trembling hand of the young girl beside her on her own initiative, lifted her face, and smiled sweetly at her. “Third Imperial Sister, let’s go.”

Ming Zhao had a slow, gentle temperament and never caused trouble. At this moment, she had already been stunned silly by this sudden turn of events. All she knew to do was nod blankly, trembling as Ming Tan led her away with great swagger.

Only after the two of them had left the Upper Study’s courtyard and arrived at a quiet place did Ming Zhao finally seem to recover. She grabbed Ming Tan and hurriedly said, “I haven’t thanked Ninth Imperial Sister for helping me yet…”

“It was just a small effort. Third Imperial Sister doesn’t need to thank me.” Ming Tan waved her hand, her expression extremely casual. “I’ve never liked Ming Xiao anyway. I only happened to use your matter to avenge a personal grudge.”

“…No matter what purpose Ninth Imperial Sister had, the final result was that you helped me greatly.”

Ming Zhao shook her head, rejecting Ming Tan’s claim that there was “no need to thank her.” Her tone was still tense as she said, “But acting like that just now… will it bring trouble to Ninth Imperial Sister? Fourth Imperial Sister has always been willful and proud. She has never suffered like this before. If Consort Ning learns that Ninth Imperial Sister did it, I’m afraid…”

“Third Imperial Sister need not overthink it.” Ming Tan raised a brow. Seeing her worry so much about her, she found this Third Princess rather interesting.

“Just let Ming Xiao stir up trouble as much as she likes. When have I ever been afraid of trouble?”

…However, even though her words were arrogant, anyone knew that if Consort Ning clung to this matter and refused to let go, determined to shield her own child, then even with the Ninth Princess’s great favor, Ming Tan would inevitably be saddled with the crime of “disrespecting her elders” and suffer a great loss because of it.

Moreover, right now, Yuanzhou was suffering a great drought, and the status of Minister Ning of the Ministry of Revenue was rising with the tide—

Ming Zhao bit her lower lip. Her brows and eyes, which naturally carried three parts melancholy, lowered as if she had made some decision. She slowly urged, “If, when the time comes, Fourth Imperial Sister and Consort Ning refuse to let the matter rest… I hope Ninth Imperial Sister need not hold back. Forget what happened today and simply push me out.”

Ming Tan froze when she heard this. A trace of surprise appeared in her eyes. She truly had not expected Ming Zhao to answer this way.

“As the elder imperial sister, and also the cause of this matter, Ming Zhao naturally ought to bear responsibility.” The Third Princess lightly pressed her lips together, smiled at her, and said gratefully, “I absolutely cannot allow Ninth Imperial Sister to suffer innocent involvement because of a momentary good deed.”

“…”

What did pure-hearted, gentle, and graceful mean?

This was it!

A black-hearted top-student demon king like Lin Shurong was not pure-hearted, gentle, and graceful at all!

Ming Tan was nearly moved to tears. Her desire to protect the other girl immediately overflowed. With a wave of her little hand, she declared forcefully, “Third Imperial Sister is noble and righteous. Ming Tan admires you deeply! But most of the responsibility for this matter lies with me. How could I let you take the bullet?”

Seeing that Ming Zhao still wanted to say more, Ming Tan simply stood on tiptoe, pressed one hand firmly on the other girl’s shoulder, looked straight into her eyes, and said resolutely, “You don’t need to think about all this. Just go back to your palace. As for what remains, pretend you know nothing. Don’t interfere. I’ll handle it myself!”

…

Sure enough, as soon as the sky had just darkened, news that “the Ninth Princess beat the Fourth Princess, and even scratched up her face” spread throughout the palace.

Although those shrubs had no thorns, their tiny branches were still rather sharp. They were not enough to “scratch up her face” to that extent, but making Ming Xiao suffer a few marks was more than easy.

When the matter reached Kunning Palace, the empress immediately called Ming Tan before her to ask the reason.

“Tan’er, is what they’re saying outside true? Did you really hit your Fourth Imperial Sister at the school hall?”

“How can that be called hitting?” Ming Tan stood with no proper posture and said lazily, “I only kicked her once, that’s all. Who knew the Fourth Princess couldn’t even stand properly?”

Seeing her admit it so generously, the empress furrowed her brows, and her expression instantly became a little sterner. She asked, “Then why did you kick her?”

“Because at the time, Ming Xiao was bullying Third Imperial Sister and even insulted Noble Lady Ying’s maternal family as ‘servants who tended beasts.’”

Ming Tan straightened herself slightly and argued confidently, “Tan’er has been enrolled for many days now. What I read are the books of sages, and what I learn are rites, propriety, hierarchy, and respect. Seeing such a scene, anger immediately surged in my heart. How could I tolerate Ming Xiao acting so outrageously in the palace?”

The empress was choked by this grand reasoning. She could neither praise nor scold her. After struggling for a long while, she could only say dryly, “Even so, you should not have acted so impulsively…”

Ming Tan curled her lips and was just about to speak when Du Ye’s slightly tense report came from outside the door. “Your Majesty the Empress, Chief Steward Sheng requests an audience outside.”

“Sheng An?”

The empress froze, then exchanged a glance with Ming Tan. Almost at the same time, mother and daughter realized that Sheng An had to have come because of the Fourth Princess Ming Xiao’s matter.

The empress instinctively gripped her daughter’s hand. Her usually gentle willow-leaf brows were tightly furrowed, and for once, she looked imposing even without anger.

“…Send him in.”

In less than a moment, Eunuch Sheng An entered the hall under Du Ye’s guidance. He performed a grand salute to the empress and Ming Tan, saying respectfully, “Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Ninth Princess.”

“Eunuch Sheng, please rise.” The empress’s expression was solemn. “It is already so late. For what matter have you come to my Kunning Palace?”

“This servant has no intention of disturbing Your Majesty and the princess.” Sheng An looked troubled and kowtowed again as he explained, “It is only that His Majesty has just issued a decree, asking the Ninth Princess to make a trip to Tianhong Palace.”

“…”

As if she had already expected this, the empress lowered her eyelashes and asked coldly, “In Tianhong Palace, is His Majesty alone?”

As someone who had spent many years surviving in the palace, Sheng An immediately understood the empress’s unspoken meaning. After thinking briefly, he did not conceal anything and answered directly, “At nightfall, Consort Ning came to Tianhong Palace to deliver porridge to His Majesty. She has not yet left.”

It was Consort Ning, as expected.

The empress closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made as if to rise. “This palace will go with Tan’er.”

Sheng An froze and was just about to speak and advise against it when Ming Tan, beside them, stepped forward half a pace. Exerting strength with her hand, she instead pressed the empress back into her seat first.

“The night is deep and the dew is heavy outside. Mother Empress should not go out. Be careful not to catch cold and suffer for it.”

The girl in the white dress smiled faintly, then turned to look at Sheng An. The emotions in her eyes were unreadable, but her tone was calm enough as she said, “Since it is Father Emperor’s command, naturally it cannot be delayed… Eunuch Sheng, please lead the way.”

…

The journey from Kunning Palace to Tianhong Palace was not far.

It was late spring now. Although the nights were no longer as cold as before, when the wind blew past, it still carried a trace of chill.

Ming Tan’s ruqun was rather thin, and she could not help shivering from the wind. Even though the movement was very small, it still drew the notice of Sheng An, whose observation was sharp. He asked, “Is Your Highness cold?”

Ming Tan shook her head. “It’s nothing. Thank you for your concern, Eunuch.”

Sheng An thoughtfully withdrew his gaze and said no more. Instead, his steps quickened a little, and before long, he led Ming Tan outside Tianhong Palace.

The two climbed the stone steps. Before they had even entered the hall, they heard bursts of a woman’s crying from inside. After listening carefully for a moment, sure enough, it was Consort Ning complaining tearfully to the emperor.

“…Xiaoxiao’s cheeks and arms were split open with large cuts. She returned to Chongle Palace covered in blood, and she frightened this consort and Xuan’er terribly! She is a princess, raised in luxury since childhood. When has she ever suffered such pain? I do not know what great hatred Ninth Highness has against Xiaoxiao that she would use such a cruel method to harm her! Your Majesty, you must seek justice for Xiaoxiao!”

Sheng An looked somewhat awkward and turned to glance at Ming Tan.

The latter’s expression remained perfectly composed, as if she had not heard Consort Ning’s accusations at all. She even smiled and reached out a hand, signaling for Sheng An to quickly announce her.

Sheng An was a little surprised by her calmness and ease. He quickly nodded, walked briskly to the palace doors, and called loudly, “Your Majesty! Her Highness the Ninth Princess has arrived!”

The crying inside stopped at will, vanishing without a trace.

There was silence inside for a while. Around ten breaths later, the emperor’s angry voice finally sounded.

“We have truly indulged this Ming Tan too much on ordinary days! She actually dared, outside the Upper Study, to act so out of order between elders and juniors and openly injure her elder imperial sister—such conduct ought to be punished! Have her kneel before Us!”

Ming Tan bit her lip.

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, being scolded by the father emperor who had always doted on her still made her eyes redden slightly. A childish grievance rose inexplicably in her heart.

Forget it. Wasn’t it only kneeling? Mother Empress was right. This was the price of her acting impulsively.

She sniffled, suppressing the sourness in her heart, and lifted the hem of her skirt to kneel.

But suddenly, a hand reached out from beside her, neither too far nor too close, and steadily supported her arm, just in time to stop Ming Tan’s movement.

Ming Tan froze. She turned her head and saw Eunuch Sheng An giving her a kindly smile, his plump face full of benevolence. He whispered, “Your Highness, there is no hurry. Kneel on this first.”

As he spoke, he sneakily glanced into the hall, then brought out the hand he had hidden behind his back. In it, he was holding two thick, soft kneeling pads.

This time, Ming Tan was truly surprised.

She looked at Sheng An blankly, but the latter seemed to have already known all the questions filling her heart. While ordering the palace maids waiting nearby to fasten the kneepads onto Ming Tan, he lowered his voice and briefly explained, “This was personally instructed by His Majesty. The stone steps outside Tianhong Palace are cold. If the princess kneels directly, it would be terrible if your knees were hurt…”

A soft feeling came over her knees. Ming Tan blinked, and just as she quietly thanked him, Sheng An turned toward the inside and shouted loudly, “Your Majesty, the Ninth Princess is already kneeling.”

“Hmph.” Inside the hall, the emperor’s voice still sounded furious, without the slightest hint that he was acting. “Then let her kneel!”

Ming Tan: “…”

The Tiancheng Oscar belongs to you and no one else.

Still muddled, she quickly knelt down.

On her knees were soft, thick cotton pads that completely blocked out the chill of the stone steps. The night wind was slightly cold, and seeing that Ming Tan’s clothes were too thin, Sheng An somehow produced a cloak from somewhere and draped it over her. The palace maids of Tianhong Palace stood at the side, holding snacks and hot porridge. Lowering their voices, they gathered around Ming Tan and asked after her with deep concern. “Is the princess cold? Are you hungry?” “His Majesty specially instructed us that we must have you eat some hot porridge. You absolutely must not freeze and ruin your health…”

Several young eunuchs also looked as if they were facing a great enemy, their bodies tense and ready for orders at any time. Chief Steward Sheng was even more considerate. He simply curled himself into a plump ball and squatted beside Ming Tan, asking about every little detail. “Would Your Highness like this servant to fetch another hand warmer? Do Your Highness’s knees still feel cold? Would Your Highness like this servant to lay another layer of cushion for you?”

“…” Ming Tan held a bowl of steaming sweet porridge, shook her head, and began wondering whether she might get bundled up enough to sweat.

With such thorough care, no matter how she looked at it, this was not punishing her. It was more like letting her experience Tianhong Palace’s five-star service, right?

Ming Tan raised her eyes and looked toward the half-open palace doors of Tianhong Palace. She only felt that the sweetness of the hot porridge in her mouth lingered thread by thread, spreading from the tip of her tongue all the way into the bottom of her heart.

She lowered her eyelashes, set the bowl of porridge aside, folded her hands together, placed them before her forehead, faced the main doors of Tianhong Palace properly, and deeply bent forward to kowtow.

She had never expected that after being reborn once, misfortune would turn into blessing, and she would be lucky enough to receive such deep love from Father Emperor…

“Longlin is ashamed to accept so much,” Ming Tan said softly. “I will spend my whole life fulfilling filial duty.”